Dead End
by Oceanwind
Summary: "You just happened to be there when I needed you most," he told her with a shrug. If he needed her so badly then why was he being so vague? Was he stupid or something? She thought that all vampires were supposed to be cunning and charming. He had yet to clarify anything and it was starting to tick her off. AU. LuNa
1. Recruited

**A/N (author's note): Warning- **_This story is featuring a dark Luffy. Like he is actually insane… not the goofy one piece insane that he already is. I might just leave this story as a standalone one shot, but if I continue I'll go into detail about that. So expect him to be a bit out of character or how I think he would be if Ace died and he didn't have his friends at the time. That's how he'll be. _

_Also this story is AU, which stands for Alternate Universe. This takes place in medieval London right before the witch hunting craze. Cloaks are totally in, mmk? Also… Vampires. Not the stupid pussy Stephanie Meyer Vampires that sparkle but legit Vampires… _

_Another warning, this is rated M for strong violence, mild language and possibly (if I continue this) adult themes in the future. (Yay for possible kinky vampire sex)._

_You're still here? Well enjoy…_

**Dead End**

**Chapter One - Recruited **

"We need her," he said studying the young girl before him.

A wicked grin plastered on his face as he bent down to her level. He pushed back the straw hat and brushed back the dark black bangs that were in his way as he crouched down in one fluid motion. His black eyes seemed to darken as he surveyed her, if that was at all possible, and the girl for the first time felt the very real threat of the situation she was in. She was sprawled across the floor, with long orange hair splattered across her face, and something looking suspiciously like blood covering her neck. Her body shook as she tried to brace herself into a sitting position. At seeing the girl's obvious fright the grin turned into a frown.

"You're scared," he stated it as a fact but somehow it seemed like a question.

"Well I am dying," the girl said smoothly. Her voice dripped with sarcasm but the young man didn't seem to notice.

Despite the wound on her neck she seemed remarkably calm. One of her hands traveled to the wound to hold it closed as she wearily watched the man before her. He seemed like a ball of energy, he could barely sit still as he swayed in his crouching position and studied her with a restless look in his eye. He looked bored, and yet somehow interested. The oxymoron didn't escape her as her thoughts became less lucid and hazier with every passing second. She decided that he looked bored as his fingers caught a strand of her hair. He twirled it in his fingers for a second, looking fascinated with the way the orange color caught the light and seemed to dance for him.

"Do you want to die?" he asked.

There was a note of genuine curiosity in his tone, but at the same time he sounded completely aloof. A realization slapped her hard as his free hand brushed her neck. He brought his hand closer to his lips and licked the blood off. His eyes trained on hers during the entire exchange. She fought the shiver that raced down her spine. No it wasn't boredom she was hearing, it was bloodlust, and the way his pupils disappeared when he would glance at her neck had her stomach rolling uncomfortably. Now it made sense, why he had just sat in the shadows and toyed with her now. He wasn't human. He wasn't here to help her.

"No," she whispered.

"Then why don't you join me?" he said. His face lit up in a grin, showing his sharp incisors. She cringed.

"I hate you," she growled. "I'd rather—"

"If you say _die_ you only have to wait a few more minutes," barked a second voice with a mocking laugh.

In the shadows rested the 'demon hunter' with green hair and black eyes as well. He was leaning back against the stack of boxes as he watched the exchange from afar. His teeth were too white and they flashed in the darkness as he gave her a haunting smile. He wore a loose tunic, and black pants with a large belt supporting three swords, and he had a bandana tied loosely around his arm. His boots were propped up lazily in front of him as he leaned back further against the boxes.

She knew that man. At least she had known of him before this, he was a famous vampire hunter and often his name was talked about in towns as he slowly made his way across the country. She had seen a picture of him once at the bar she worked at, the green hair gave him away, but the deep scar over his eye was new. As was the fact that he was now one of them. Zoro, the name sounded bitter. If that man could cave then anyone could. The filling of dread overcame her and the need for revenge became a thousand times stronger. If that man could accept this fate and use it then why couldn't she? She was going to die either way.

"I would reconsider that. You could get revenge," Zoro continued, his smile disappearing as the first man shot him a look.

She was silent a moment.

"My soul—"

"Will be damned for all eternity," chirped the black haired man with a bit of perkiness that she hadn't really noticed before. In fact he seemed too happy; his smile seemed to grow with every passing second. His nostrils flared as he studied her.

"It'd be a shame to waste all that blood for nothing," he murmured mostly to himself. Since he was still crouched in front of her she caught it and gave him a disbelieving look. "And we do need you," he commented for her benefit but his voice didn't retain any seriousness. In fact he looked like he had already decided that she was going to join him one way or the other.

"Why?"

"We don't have much time. Nami… you need to decide now. Are you going to join me?" he said waving off her question.

She choked back a frustrated sob, the feeling of her head growing lighter by the second had her seriously worried, and she didn't want anything to do with these demons… these vampires. They were evil, she hated them. Years ago their kind had rampaged her town and killed her mother… yet… and yet right now she was staring at death in the face. She wanted to fight back. She didn't want to take this fate lying down. For the second time that day she felt genuine concern for herself, the first having been when her attacker dealt her this fatal wound. She knew she couldn't come back from this. She couldn't survive… she studied her ruined dress and felt a pit of nausea develop in her stomach. She would have thrown up, but she swallowed it down, she was sure she would die if she gave into that urge.

"If you let me kill him first," she hissed resolving the swirling thoughts in her head. She didn't have time to think, she had to act, but first she had to ensure that she didn't get a short end of the stick. She had to make it a deal worthwhile for her.

"That Arlong fellow? I can take care of that," he said easily with a shrug.

The straw hat fell off his head and around his shoulders. His cloak was pushed back as his hand was still busy playing with her hair, revealing a handsome white long sleeved button down shirt and a pair of dark black pants and dress shoes. Despite the simple wardrobe and the fact that she hated his guts, he had a handsome face. He even looked a little boyish and young. _You never know how old these freaks are, he could be a 100 years old_, she thought frowning to herself.

"I'm not going to trust you—"

"You're going to be a new born. You'll have no control. You'll rampage half the town and I'm sure you have loved ones you'll want to spare," Zoro commented. He sounded bored as he studied his nails without even flicking a glance her way. "Luffy just give up. We'll find someone else in the next town."

"I want her," the black haired man supposedly named Luffy growled. For the first time the smile completely disappeared, not a hint was left as he glared at the green haired demon.

"Restrain me then," she demanded. She fought a cough, and tasted blood building in the back of her throat. She cut off the protest she could see coming. She didn't have time to barter. "Help me kill him and I'll join you," she gasped out interrupting his possible response. She was coming to terms with this, she had to. She had to get revenge. She wasn't one to die like this and just let it go. When someone wronged her, she got even.

She was alarmed at the effort it took to speak. Luffy grinned as he faced her and turned away from Zoro. He stood straightening quickly and grabbed her hand in the process forcing her to her feet. His movements were almost rough, but the shock was enough to cause her free hand to move away from her wounded neck and brace against his chest. She barely was aware of the red stain she was leaving on his white shirt. His eyes bore into hers with a hunger that had barely been masked earlier. His scent was over powering, making her already dizzy head spin as she struggled to stay as composed as possible. Under normal circumstances she would have expected him to kiss her, however she knew what he was about to do. She braced herself, her hands clutching his chest in support as she swayed slightly on her feet.

"Promise," she demanded her voice a faint whisper as his head started to move to her neck. She felt rather than saw him grin.

"I promise," he murmured, his eyes locking on hers again.

It seemed almost like a tender moment. There was an understanding there that she hadn't expected to see, and genuine concern for her. Underneath the blackness of his eyes she could have sworn she saw a hint of brown. She wrote it off as the blood loss getting to her.

She closed her eyes and nodded telling him without words to do it, and knowing without his words that this was going to be one hell of a process. Her odds of survival weren't even that high and yet he hadn't spoken one word about the gift that these creatures promised. They often spun tales of how wonderful and powerful they would be, and the curses that came with their gift. Luffy hadn't spoken a word about it. Maybe he thought she already knew? He would be right of course, but—

Her thoughts were interrupted as his teeth grazed her neck.

"This is going to hurt," he whispered as he lowered her so that she was sitting again.

"You're supposed to warn people before you bite them," she hissed through clenched teeth.

Those were the last coherent words she had gotten out before the pain consumed her. For the next three days she lied there, unable to move, screams escaped her as every nerve slowly shut down with white hot pain. It wasn't until the third day, her voice raw from her screams that she managed to quiet down. The pain felt… cold now, and her body was hard.

As the moon rose so did she.

She ignored the claw marks and the massacre of dried blood that stained the walls. She grabbed a pair of clothes that had been laid out neatly for her. A pair of black pants and a deep red shirt awaited her along with a black tie, she snorted to herself. She shouldn't really be surprised that they had given her men's clothing, but at the same time she didn't care at the moment. Anything was better than her current state of dress. She tossed aside her ruined dress and slipped on the new clothes, marveling at the silkiness and softness of the fabric against her skin. She strapped on a cloak as well, not wanting to stick out in the town's busy night life. The air around her seemed stale and smelled rancid like death. The scent brought back the memories of the pain she had just freed herself from. She didn't need a reminder of what had just happened to her. She felt… better. At least now she wasn't dying, since she was already dead.

"Let's go kill that bastard," she said as she left the desolate room that she had been occupying for the past three days.

She instinctually knew that they were there, Luffy and Zoro that is. The stories hadn't lied about the heightened senses. The world seemed new, as all the sights and sounds assaulted her. The moon was so bright it seemed like the sun, and their surroundings weren't dark at all, but as bright as day. The stories also hadn't lied about the thirst. She found it impossible to ignore, her new nose practically had her running into town to kill the closest person. Her own words held her in her place, her determination. That was the only thing she felt. Everything else was dull; she was in a better sense numb to the world. Her insanity and desperate urge for revenge consumed her. Nothing else mattered, nothing else would matter.

She wanted to kill Arlong, _just_ him. Her throat burned and scratched and she knew the only thing that would quench her thirst was blood.

At her words, Luffy and Zoro appeared at her side, both grinning wickedly. Their eyes were now a bright red instead of a dark black.

"We're starving," they growled together mimicking each other's smiles that could only be described as sinister.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

She felt almost giddy as she wiped the last of the blood off her lips. She found a smile and a cackle escaping her. His blood had been sweet, and she had rather enjoyed torturing him and listening to _him_ scream this time. But now the fact that he was dead was starting to set in. She was hit with a strong feeling. She felt lost, and very alone.

Her two new _friends_ studied her with disinterest, like they had just set loose a rabid dog and weren't quite sure how to put it down now.

"A deal's a deal," Luffy said. Blood still dripped from his jaw, giving him a wild almost feral look. His eyes were black again, and gone was the smile that he had sported just a few days before. "You're mine," he said firmly.

She laughed in his face. "I said you had to let me kill him. You slashed his throat before I could have my fun," she pouted. His teeth gritted as he gnashed them at her in disproval. Zoro took the moment to exit the room silently. Probably to survey the surroundings and make sure that no authorities were on their way or he was uncomfortable, she couldn't quite tell with him.

"You were going too far with it," he snapped.

"He was a –"

"I know what he was," he growled cutting her off. Suddenly he was right in front of her; his hand snagged her wrist and held her firmly in place. His eyes bore into hers, his gaze hard and unreadable. She felt like he was searching her soul, and despite herself she shrunk back from his stern look. Only she couldn't, his hand kept her locked in place.

"You aren't a monster," he said firmly. "You can't lose your humanity."

"I just murdered someone," she snorted.

"You murdered a murderer. That hardly counts."

His lips twitched slightly as if he was calling her stupid. Instinct took over then, she wasn't sure where it came from but she hit him roughly upside the head.

"It counts when I'm the one that drank him dry," she seethed.

His grip on her wrist didn't loosen and his mad smile seemed to grow. He pulled her closer. She was hit with the sense of familiarity. This was the last scene they had together when she had been human. She nervously swallowed as his scent hit her. It was strong and musty. It didn't smell like death though, but sweeter. Like ocean spray and possibly sweat. She pushed the thought aside as his hot breath tickled her nose. They were nearly eye to eye, but he had an inch at least on her. His gaze lost all seriousness.

"Nami, you aren't a monster," he laughed, "you aren't the type to just go out and kill needlessly. That being said… you need them to stay alive and I need you."

He hadn't lost that goofy grin. It didn't bother her like she thought it would, in fact she almost seemed to connect to him better. The words he was speaking… she couldn't quite figure out what it was that he needed and it had her rather intrigued. She was damned for all of eternity now, but she couldn't find it in herself to blame him. She had even wanted it, she wanted revenge. The anger she thought she would have wasn't there.

"Which means?" she asked quietly once she realized he wasn't going to let go of her.

"I have a mission that I couldn't complete when I was alive," he said after a moment and completely ignored her question. "Being dead now, I have realized I need more help to complete it."

Her blank look was lost on him as he let her wrist go. He gave her another bright smile. The blood having stained his teeth gave him more of an eerie look than what he had probably intended. He didn't take a step back and neither did she, leaving him still close to her. If she moved she would bump into him.

"You recruited me?"

"Yes and no," he told her while he finally wiped the blood from his chin. Instantly his face looked cleaner and more wholesome. Gone was the feral mad look in his eye. His smile turned softer.

"You just happened to be there when I needed you most," he told her with a shrug.

If he needed her so damn badly then why the hell was he being so vague? Was he stupid or something? She thought that all vampires were supposed to be cunning and charming. He had yet to clarify anything and it was starting to piss her off. Her anger started to bubble back.

"What exactly do you need me for?" she snapped.

In a flash his smile turned mad. It was just a bit too far wide on his face, and he showed his blood stained teeth again. His eyes even glazed over. He hand shot up and rested on her shoulder pulling her to his chest so that his hot breath grazed her ear.

"Revenge," he whispered.

He bit her again, just as softly as he had the time before. His teeth barely breaking the skin on her neck, only instead of intense pain she felt only pleasure. His lips sucked some of her blood, and swirled her thoughts with it. She leaned into him, panting hard as his hands traveled lower down her back to support her.

"You need to bite me," he whispered in her ear, pausing from his ministrations on her neck. She groaned and did as she was told.

The whole experience was hard to describe. She was pulled to him, draw in, and she couldn't escape. She didn't want to. She hated to admit this, but she was actually aroused by this carnal behavior. She found herself moaning as his lips brushed her ear and his tongue shot out to taste her skin. His blood was sickeningly sweet, and it tasted even better than Arlong's had. His hands were firm as he guided them over to the couch. She found it hard to do but she managed to pry herself from his neck, but to distract herself from her bloodlust she gave in to lust. The regular kind. Her hands found his collared shirt and pulled him close for a searing kiss. He seemed startled at first, his lips didn't respond right away. She was worried that she might have crossed some line, but just when she was about to pull away and start apologizing he kissed her back.

His hands caught her bum and forced her to straddle him. One hand shot up to playfully pull on her hair and expose her neck. He nipped her again, grazing his teeth against her flesh until she was practically screaming at him to bite her. Her hands shot under his shirt and started to unbutton it, she played with his surprisingly chiseled chest while he ravished her neck. She could feel the blood pouring out of her, leaving her too quickly, leaving her weak and light-headed. She could fix that. She growled, effectively stopping him and dipped her head back into the crook of his neck, taking back what he had taken. He started playing with her breasts, and pinched her sensitive bud through her shirt. Her gasp egged him on, as he pried her free from his neck and caught her lips in another feverish kiss.

He finally pulled her free after a few minutes of this frenzy they had on each other. Both panted and stared hard at each other, knowing that they had just shared something rather personal with one another even for vampires. He grinned and leaned forward. His lips caught hers quickly in a chaste kiss.

"I helped you get your revenge. Now you have to help me get mine," he said playfully as he pushed her gently off his lap. He righted himself like nothing even happened. His goofy smile back as he called out for Zoro.

"Zoro! Get the coffins!"

* * *

**A/N: **_Thoughts, comments and suggestions are of course welcomed. Exploring my dark side so if anyone can think of anything I said or did wrong please point it out! :D. _


	2. Riot

**A/N:** _Two things, first… wow. I wasn't expecting that type of response to the first chapter at all. I was positive that no one was going to like this story. I'm really beyond flattered that you guys think otherwise. So for your sakes and for the sake of fun I'm going to continue and this will be a full-fledged story like it was originally intended to be anyways._

_Second_ **(and this one is kind of important so read FIRST):** _Werewolf lore varies a lot, I've heard they still have heartbeats and other stories where they are just dead. I've talked to a lot of my dear friends about this topic. However I'm going to completely disregard that and go with the lore I am familiar with. It comes from a Scottish family somewhere. Any who let me explain, there is a difference between bitten and natural-born werewolves. Victims die and aren't as powerful but they are in a sense immortal. Born werewolves live out their natural lifespan and either die with their curse or can find some way to die before their natural death and become immortal. That is why silver is so important because it stops the werewolves from healing and in a sense lifts the curse but it kills them…_

_That is just one of the freaking millions of theories and I'm not sure how accurate that is. This is one I heard when my mom was telling me bedtime stories so I'm going to stick with what I (kinda) know. Now… sorry for my rant, enjoy this installment of~_

**Dead End **

**Chapter Two – Riot**

Nami stared at the velvety fabric that lined the walls of her coffin. It was luxurious to be sure; all she had ever wanted when she was alive was to enjoy the finer things in life. She wanted to wear the best clothing, eat the best food, drink the best wine, flirt with the highest aristocrats and rob them blind when they weren't paying attention, and travel. Oh how she had wanted to travel and escape that desolate town. She would have given anything…

Now she had been dead for two days and all the things that had mattered so much when she was alive seemed trivial. In fact, she hadn't even changed out of the men's clothing that Luffy and Zoro had given her. She didn't see the point of putting up the pretense of caring, because quite frankly, she didn't care.

She had gotten her revenge. Why should she help Luffy get his? She should just throw her body on a flaming wooden stake and hope that the ashes spread her body so far that it could never be rejoined or run into the sunlight. She had thought of it and mentioned that she found this 'afterlife' pointless now. Zoro had been the one to tell her that it was impossible to commit suicide. She hated how that man looked at her. It had really only been a day, she had decided she wanted to know as much about the two of them as possible.

Zoro was blunt and cruel. He seemed to enjoy taunting her to her wit's end and often made her uncomfortable. However even with the short lapse of time she could tell they would be good friends. He was blunt about her character, he pointed out her flaws when he saw them, and for the most part he could accept his flaws when she flung them in his face. He really didn't talk too much, which she was okay with. She still managed to pry information from him.

Luffy's, for lack of a better word, minions all had a common factor. He saved them from an untimely death and let them complete a task that life had deprived from them. It created loyalty and judging by what he was asking for in return he needed a lot of it. For example, Zoro the once feared and noble vampire slayer hadn't quite been prepared when he stumbled paths with Dracula… the Hawk eyed demon that has tortured lower London for the past twenty years. He would have died, had Luffy not stumbled upon him a few years back after he was dealt that fatal wound to his chest. He asked if he would like to go on killing vampires and making a name for himself even in death and that was exactly what Zoro wanted. The two worked well together. She would have asked who the others were, but she was uneasy about this. Did she really want to pledge herself to such a creature? She had hated vampires so strongly when she had been alive, and so had Zoro… how did he get over it? She would have asked him, but she kept the question to herself, now hardly seemed appropriate with that idiot bouncing around.

In fact Nami hadn't known that Zoro was dead until that night she lost her life. There were still rumors going around that he was taking down vampires, demons, and werewolves all across the country to this day. His nightly activities were easily excusable since the creatures he hunted dwelled at that time. It was a lie that he was still living, but it was no lie that he still hunted down these creatures and protected everyone he came across.

While Luffy had answered all her questions, he was too vague and was easily distracted. It was possibly that, or he was cunning and knew how to divert the subject discreetly. Either way she simply could only think one word to describe Luffy, and that is _idiot_. He practically bounced around the room with such a high energy it made it seem like he had just drank an entire village dry. He talked loudly when he addressed her, and when he sounded intelligent there was that mad like smile that tainted his face giving her the impression that he was off his rocker. She didn't like to make eye contact with him and so far they hadn't kissed or drank each other's blood since the first time. Not that she could see any event that would lead up to that, they hardly spoke outside of the questions she asked and Zoro hadn't left them alone again.

They both taught her things. Like how to live off of other animals besides humans as a blood source, how to track down prey that was human if she couldn't handle animal blood and where to track down a homeless person or someone who wouldn't be missed, and how to avoid detection. There were things that they reassured her would take time to master again, things like talking to humans would take time. The heightened senses allowed her to hear a heartbeat, and it was a tattletale sign when someone was lying. It made it hard to actually focus on what the humans were saying, the thrum of their heart was so fascinating to her now and so very distracting to the burning sensation in her throat.

She knew she should be asking them endless amounts of questions about their kind now and things about themselves that she should know. How old were they? Are there others nearby? Was that whole garlic thing real? Things like that, yet she couldn't really find the words to ask. The longer she spent in their company though, the less she felt like she had to know every single detail and she dropped questioning Luffy about his burning need for revenge. In fact she could only grill them about trivial things, like why Zoro had three piercings on his ear or why Luffy had a straw hat.

The sun finally set, and with it her third day of being dead started. She felt weird sliding the lid of her coffin off her grave and rose to meet the black eyes of her companions. Only as she did so she was met with two extra pairs.

If her heart had still been beating it would have jumped in surprise. Her life had taught her how to hide her emotions and she was sure that even in death she hadn't given any sign of it. She didn't speak or make eye contact. She felt her body tense as she slid out of her coffin with grace and landed on her feet with a dull thud. Her arm draped over the side elegantly, gripping the edge in case she could use it as a makeshift shield somehow.

"Another one, eh Luff?"

This one had blond hair, and his hair fell in such a way that it hid one eye from her view. His brow curled oddly and the look in his eye left her feeling uneasy. She coiled her hand at her side and sucked in a discreet calming breath to collect herself. There was another at his side, and despite his black eyes she could hear the faint thrum of his heartbeat. She gave him a curious look but he shrank back into the shadow that the first man offered, and successfully hid himself from her gaze.

"She's mine, Sanji," her… erm… leader… snarled.

"Unfair," the man named Sanji cried. "Why do you get all the gorgeous girls before I do?"

"Shut up you rotting sleaze ball," Zoro growled impatiently. "Time is running out, we need to make a move fast."

Luffy's fist connected with the wall as he let out a frustrated growl. It was the first time she had ever seen any display of strength from him and anger. It had her quaking slightly as she saw the giant hole in the wall he left. He might be an idiot, but he was ridiculously strong, even for a vampire.

"Luffy?"

She was surprised at her own voice and how timid she sounded. She was reaching out to him, disregarding the safety her coffin offered and strode toward him timidly. Her hand caught his shoulder, and she was surprised to feel him shaking under her grasp.

"We need to go. Now," he hissed lowly. He gently removed her hand from his shoulder and turned slowly, his demeanor barely seemed collected, and the small group noticed. He shot Zoro a look. "I'm going to have to rely on you this time."

The green haired vampire nodded before striding out of the room without a word.

"Luffy I can get Robin and Franky ready and we'll head over for back up," Sanji said. He slicked his hair back and made sure to give Nami a pointed look and a small discreet wink. She was tempted to cringe and stick her tongue out but she ignored him. He followed after Zoro with a nonchalant wave to them.

"It can't be helped then. I'll gather up Usopp and Brook. Chopper, you stay here with Nami. She isn't ready for this."

"Ready for what?" she asked again despite herself her voice called out to him before she could control it.

The wild and fierce look in his eyes disappeared for a second as he glanced over her. He took a deep breath his hand catching hers and pulling her surprisingly close. She was off balance but she didn't fall, she couldn't, not with her reflexes. Luffy braced her still, and stared hard into her eyes.

"Trust me," he breathed out.

His voice so faint she was sure that even with their superior hearing in the room only she caught what he said. He leaned in close, and for a split second she thought he was going to kiss her until she felt the soft weight of something fall onto her head. Her hand reached up to touch what he had left to her, and she felt herself warm slightly as her fingers brushed against the straw hat. Luffy told her it was a promise that he hadn't been able to keep in life, and he seemed like the kind of man who wouldn't just let anyone touch his beloved treasure. She wasn't going to dwell too much on his actions as he pulled back so sharply it made it seem like she had burned him. She was still weary of him and he knew it.

"Chopper, I'm counting on you," he said and with a sharp turn of his heel he followed after Zoro and Sanji.

That left her alone with the man he called Chopper. Now forced out of the shadows she took in his appearance. He was young, younger than what Luffy appeared to be. At the most he was 15 years old, but even that was pushing it. He had light brown hair that fell into his eyes with two awkward cow licks right above his ears, his skin that showed was unnaturally pale in the dancing candle light, and his piercing blue eyes danced around the room nervously as he looked at everything but her. His clothes were tattered and looked so worn down that they would fall off at any second, but a small medic patch was sewn onto his coat where he had rolled up his sleeves to expose his oddly hairy arms. His heart thundered loudly in his chest now and his breath became ragged.

"You're alive," she breathed out. She was… fascinated by this. She could smell something different about him, but she couldn't tell what it was. He didn't smell fully human, but it wasn't as musky as an animal either.

He gave her a timid smile at her words.

"Yes, and you're dead."

His words weren't meant to be cruel; in fact he seemed to be too nervous to even realize that his words might be offensive to her. She decided to ignore the cutting remark. Luffy knew this boy, but this boy knew nothing of her. Surely he couldn't be too bad. From what Zoro had told her earlier Luffy only turned people when he had to, and half of the 'crew' he had found like Robin, Sanji, and Brook had already been turned before he found them. This boy was still alive, and yet here he was associating with vampires and here he was left alone with a new one all by himself. Did Luffy trust her that much? Was this a test of some kind?

"How?" she asked.

Her bluntness tonight was starting to annoy her. She needed to be in better control, but her curiosity and instincts were taking over. She found herself sitting down at an elegant table that rested in the middle of the room. She had never really paid much mind to this place. Luffy told her they were staying in a catacomb that his father had built underground and Franky had turned it into a makeshift mansion. The details hadn't really been important before. She had thought her natural sense of curiosity had died when she did. She didn't press for details as hard as she did when she was alive.

"How?" he mimicked. He seemed confused and took a step forward into the room. "How am I alive?" he tried to clarify. She nodded, urging him to continue and to take a seat next to her. He hovered wearily from his spot.

"I'm a werewolf. I'm not actually dead like the ones that are bitten. I inherited this curse. I was born with a heartbeat."

"Then why are you here? Aren't werewolves and vampires enemies?" she asked.

Again she was curious and it had her leaning in closer to study his frame better. The uneasiness seemed to melt off the boy as he took a few more steps towards her and took the offered seat from moments before.

"They are, but if you haven't noticed Luffy isn't exactly a typical vampire," his grin was so wide it seemed to give him pause for a second before he continued, "and I'm not exactly a typical werewolf."

She was silent for a while, her thoughts raced ahead of her as she careful analyzed what exactly he was saying. He was her natural enemy but she had no urge, no desire to hurt him in any way. He was friendly and just a kid. To be honest she felt a natural instinct to protect him take over the second she had heard his heartbeat. She just couldn't understand why that was or why that feeling was so surprisingly strong.

"I haven't been dead long. I'm not exactly sure what is going on," she said evenly. "Not much has been explained to me."

"Luffy does that," Chopper said with a shrug of his shoulders. "He isn't the best at explaining things. His type is more comfortable taking action than to sit down and explain what is going on beforehand."

She nodded because from what she had gathered these few days was that Chopper was right. Luffy seemed to be exactly like that. She felt like she could trust him, like he would pull through, after all he had freed her from that life. He had freed her from her prison in a sense by giving her this afterlife. Suddenly the depression and loss of interest with her surroundings disappeared. She had something to strive for, and that was to help Luffy. Luffy wasn't a typical vampire. It would take time but she knew she was going to accept that fact. There was just something about him that made her want to place this newfound faith in him.

"Can you tell me why he needs to get revenge?" she asked.

It could be a yes or no answer by the way she phrased it but she hoped that Chopper would see her interest and indulge her. She wasn't mistaken. The young werewolf smiled showing flashy white teeth.

"Luffy seems to like you," he said bluntly avoiding her question. If she had been alive her cheeks would have blushed, she rolled her eyes to cover up her shock.

"Yes well…"

What was protocol for having feelings for another vampire? She might be new to this world but she couldn't deny that there is something there. Maybe it was a little too fast… but she couldn't find herself resenting that fact. Maybe she was just reading way too far into the situation.

"A vampire killed his brother and turned Luffy into a vampire against his will. Black Beard," he said the name with a frown and interrupted her thoughts. "That is really all the information I know. Luffy doesn't like to talk about it."

She felt a pang of sympathy, and again she was surprised at the depth of emotion she was capable of feeling. She had thought that in death she wouldn't care anymore, and despite her best efforts she was caring without meaning to. She frowned at Chopper.

"So where did they all just run off to?" she asked, and she hoped that he didn't mutter the name that Luffy hated so much again. He frowned back to her.

"Crocodile is messing with Luffy's turf again. Apparently he stole the princess and is trying to uproot us from this spot."

There was so much she didn't know about. She felt like this was going to be a long night for the both of them as she started grilling the poor wolf with thousands of questions.

* * *

**A/N: **_Just wow... I really wasn't expecting the feedback that the first chapter got. I'm in awe. This was an idea that struck me and I couldn't shake. I did always intend for it to be a story but I figured I would update every few months whenever I felt like indulging in my 'dark' side or just simply leave it be. I honestly thought no one would be interested and this was going to be a one-shot purely for me and for the fun of it hahaha. I'm flattered and amazed at the response so far. So this story is officially in story mode. I hope I don't disappoint from here on out. _


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